Encyclopedia Titanica

August Kenzler

August Kenzler, 43, was born in London, England around 1868 although his exact background remains unclear.

No records for August's birth or his family background can be traced and there is no sign of him on census records in the periods covering 1871-1891. The first obtainable record for him was a registration for his marriage to Emma Brammah 1 in London in 1896.

Emma Brammah, née Dawe (?) 2 was born in Gosport 3, Hampshire, England around 1853. She was first married to a William Brammah (b. 1852 in Blackburn, Lancashire), a ship and house painter, and settled in Southampton where she appears on the 1881 census living at 17 Anglesea Terrace, St Mary. The couple spent time in South Africa before resettling in England around 1883 and living in Southampton then Plaistow, Essex. They at least five children: William H. J. (1882-1914), George Albert (b. 1884), Walter Percy (b. 1885), John Thomas (b. 1890) and Ada Florence (b. 1892). Emma appears to have been widowed in early 1896.

August and Emma were married in the summer months of 1896 in London but would have no children of their own. On the 1901 census August is absent, perhaps at sea, but his wife and stepchildren are recorded as living at 2 New Road, West Ham, Essex. The 1911 census would see the family shift southward to Southampton. August and his family were by now living at 19 Orchard Place, St Mary and he was described as a storekeeper in shipping.

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, August gave his address as 21 Blechynden Terrace, (Southampton). His last ship had been the Olympic. As storekeeper he received monthly wages of £7.

Kenzler died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. The following death notice appeared in an unidentified newspaper:

KENZLER--On board s.s. Titanic, April 15th, August, the beloved husband of Emma Kenzler, aged 44, 21 Blechynden Terrace, Southampton. Deeply mourned by his sorrowing wife. In the midst of life we are in death.

August's widow Emma never remarried and remained in Southampton where she died in 1929 aged 76.

Notes

  1. Spelling varies between Bramah and Brammah on various records.
  2. Maiden name uncertain. No definitive marriage record can be traced to ascertain Emma's familial details. A marriage record, registered in Southampton in the third quarter of 1876 between a William Brammay (possibly a typo) and Emma Dawe is very possibly the correct couple.
  3. She would alternate her birthplace between Gosport and Portsmouth on various census records.

Documents and Certificates

Agreement and Account of Crew, National Archives, London; BT100/259
General Register Office: Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths
(1912) Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea, National Archives, London; BT334/52 & 334/53
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Titanic Crew Summary

Name: Mr August Kenzler
Born: circa.1868 in London, England
Age: 44 years (Male)
Nationality: English
Marital Status: Married to Emma Brammah, née Dawe
Occupation: Storekeeper
Last Ship: Olympic
Embarked: Belfast on Saturday 6th April 1912
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

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